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Which built-in .NET cryptography algorithm is the most secure?

Asked 2008-11-03T14:14:13.527
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Which cryptography algorithm is the most secure that ships with .net?

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You cannot directly compare all types of cryptographic algorithms. That would be like comparing a sorting algorithm with a multiplication algorithm: they have different purposes. That being said, I would answer:

  • Symmetric cipher: AES-256
  • Asymmetric cipher: RSA with 4096 bit key (I believe that is the maximum in .NET) or ECDSA with 571 bit key (but that is only supported in .NET 3.5)
  • Hash: SHA-512
  • Message Authentication Code: HMAC with SHA-512

That being said, those are overkill for most applications, and you should do fine using AES-128, RSA with 2048 bit key, SHA-256 and HMAC with SHA-256.

answered 2008-11-03T14:32:46.453

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